Coal or freight run.



No. 644,892. Patented Mar. 6, 1900.

- .1. BRADY.

COAL AND FREIGHT RUN.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1899.) (N0 Model.)

2 Sheets-Shut I.

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No. 644,892. Patented Mar. 6, I900.

J. BRADY.

- COAL AND FREIGHT RUN.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1899.) 0 ode 2 Sheets-Sheet FF- W A TTOHNEYS.

n4: mums PEYERS cm-Puo'rauwa, WSHINGTON, o, c:

llnrrnn Frames JOHN BRADY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COAL ca FREIGHT RUN.

srncrrrcerron forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,892, dated March 6,1900.

Application filed April 25, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, JOHN BRADY, of the city. of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and Im'proved'Coal or Freight Run, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact-description.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable, and economic mechanism by means of which car's may be loaded with coal or other merchandise, the weight of the contents of the car ascertained, and the cars con ducted to any desired point and in any desired number, their contents dumped, and the emptied cars returned to receive another load.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism. capable of accomplishing the purpose above set forth that may be op erated and controlled by two attendants.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth,

- and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved mechanism, portions of the tracks being broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one end portion of the improved run. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. A is a transverse vertical section taken practically on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the cars employed in connection with the run; and Fig. 6 is an end View of one of the cars, a portion thereof being in section;

In constructing the frame of the improved run a set of uprights A, preferably four in 7 number, is located at or near each end of the run, and said uprights constitute the cornerposts for an elevator-shaft. These uprights A are secured in any approved manner to a suitable base A and between the uprights forming the elevator-shafts uprights A are secured upon said base. Usually at one or at both sides of each elevator shaft a vertical support or post A is located. The intermediate uprights A are provided with suitable braces 10, and two sets of longitudinal beams B and B are attached to the various uprights vl3, as shown in Fig. 2.

Serial No. 714,456. (No model.)

A and A, the lower beams B forming a foun dation for a lower track and the upper beams B constituting a foundation for the upper track. The lower beams B are preferably givena slight downward inclination from the first elevator-shaft in direction of the second elevator-shaft, while the upper beams 13 may be given an inclination in an opposite direc- "tion, as shown in Fig. 1.

Between the front end of the structure and the first elevator-shaft a platform 11 is constructed, supported by the lower side beams Upon this platform 11 rails 12 are laid, and at the outer ends of the rails a bulkhead 13 is erected. Crossbars 14. are located at the upper portion of each of the elevator-shafts, and each shaft is provided at the top with a cover 14, as shown in Fig. 2. A housing 15 extends diagonally across the cover or top of each elevator-shaft, and within each housing preferably three pulleys 16, 17, and 18 are suitably journaled, the central pulley 17 being above the end pulleys 16 and 18. A shaft 19 is journaled in the cross-bars 14 of each elevator and shaft above the top or cover, and each shaft 19 is provided with a drum 20. A cable 20 is wound around each drum 20, an end of each cable being secured to the drum around which it is wound. Each cable is attached to the top of an elevator 0, adapted to travel in one of the shafts, but one end of each cable is passed over the pulleys 16,17, and 18 and down to an engagement with a weight 21,

and the weights are adapted to slide in ways formed in the elevator-shafts, the said ways being produced in a corner-post of the elevator-shaft and an adjacent upright" 22, as illustrated in Fig. 1. y

Each drum-shaft 19 is provided with a pulley 23, and a rope or chain is passed over each pulley 23 and over a pulley 24, the pulley 24: being preferably mounted beneath the lower side beams B of the structure, as is also shown in Fig. l. A scale-platform D is provided in that portion of the structure adjacent to the first elevator-shaft, at the bottom thereof. The scale-platform preferably consists of two side beams 26, pivoted by suitable pins 27 or a shaft to the lower longitudinal beams 13 of the structure, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The beams of the scale-platform are connected at their forward ends by a cross-bar 28, and a similar bar connects their rear ends. A covering 29 is built upon that portion of the side beams of the frame of the scale-platform that is beyond the elevator-shaft into which the said platform extends, and that portion of the scale-platform that is within the elevator-shaft is of skeleton formation, as shown in Fig. The elevator 0 provided for that shaft rests upon the skeleton portion of the scale-platform when the elevator is in its lowest position, and rails 12 are laid upon the elevators, adapted to register with the rails 12 on the fixed platform 11.

' The outer or rear end of the scale-platform normally rests upon a support 30, attached to the beams B of the structure, and the forward end of the scale-platform is prevented from dropping too far down by a pin or pins d, that are placed below the said platform at or near the forward end, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Rails 31 are located on the scale-platform, and said rails 31 meet the rails 12 on the stationary platform 11.

A cable 32 is attached to the forward end of the scale-platform D, preferably at one side, and this cable is carried up over a pulley 33 at the top of the elevator-shaft into which the scale-platform extends. Weights 34 are attached to the other end of the cable, and any desired number of weights may be employed.

No weight-i.ndicator is required in connection with the scale-platform, since the platform is balanced to a weight equal to that of a car and the elevator, together with the desired weight of the contents of the car minus a fraction of said weight, as each car has a given capacityfor example, two tons. Therefore if a car having received its load is passed onto the scale-platform and just preserves its balance a weight of two tons is recorded by the person taking the weight; but should the car and contents hold the scaleplatform down weights 34 are added to the cable 32 in sufficient quantities to bring the platform to a proper balance, and the amount of the weight over two tons is obtained by reading the aggregate of pounds indicated by the weights thus added.

The scale-platform may be locked at its forward end at any time by any approved means. The device usually employed for that purpose consists of a rock-shaft 35, journaled in suitable supports below the platform, and said shaft is provided with upwardly-extending arms or fingers 36, so placed that they may be brought to a locking engagement with the under faces of the side beams of the scaleplatform. The rock-shaft 35 is manipulated through the medium of an attached lever 37, that extends upward within convenient reach of the person operating the first elevator.

A stationary platform E is supported by the side beams B at the rear of the rear end of the scale-platform, and said rear stationary platform E is provided with rails 38, arranged to abut against the rails 31 on the scale-platform. An upright 39 is located at the rear end of the lower track, and a bulkhead 40 is attached to said upright 39, preferably by means of a spring 41, as shown in Fig. 3, and this bulkhead 40 is adapted to be engaged by a car when the car is passed upon the second elevator. Suitable rails 42 are supported on the upper side beams 13 of the structure, and these rails 42 extend from one elevator-shaft to the other.

The preferred form of car F is that illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, which car is shown as provided with the usual wheels 43 and with additional wheels 44 near the top at each side.

The wheels 43 are adapted to travel on the lower rails, while the car is suspended from the upper rails by the upper wheels 44. The car is preferably provided with an opening in one of its sides, normally closed by a door 45, and said door opens outward near the bottom portion of the car, so that the load may be dumped from the side, and said door 45 is held closed by any suitable form of latch, the latch illustrated being an eye 46, attached to a door, and a lever 47, located at the end of the car and having one of its members fit ted to enter the said eye.

In operation while the car is being loaded it is on the stationary platform 11, and after the car has received its load it is carried onto the elevator that rests on the scale-beam and is weighed. The car is then conducted to any point on the length of the lower runway and the load is dumped therefrom. The empty car is then carried to the second elevator and is raised by said elevator to the upper runway to an engagement with the rails 42. It may here be remarked that whilethe car is on an elevator the upper wheels 44 rest upon battens 48, located at the sides of said eleva tor. The empty car will travel toward the first elevator-shaft, and the operator at said elevator-shaft will have raised the first elevator in time to receive the empty car. The first elevator is then lowered and the empty car placed again on the platform 11 to be refilled.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The stationary runs having rails, the tilting weighing-platform provided with a section having rails and a section without rails, the latter section being adapted to receive an elevator; in combination with an elevator, a car of which is provided with rails adapted to abut the rails on the weighing-platform, and a weighted balancing device connected with the weighing-platform.

2. The stationary runs having rails, the tilted weighing-platform located at a point within the said runs, which platform is pivoted intermediate of its ends and provided with rails at one side of the pivot and a railless section at the opposite side of the pivot,

in combination with an elevator, the car of which is adapted torest upon the railless section of the Weighing-platform, said car having rails adapted to abut the rails of the Weighing-platform and the rails of the stationary runs, and a weighted balance device connected with the Weighing-platform.

3. In a coal or freight runway, the combination, with an upper track and a lower track, and a scale-platform forming a portion of one of the tracks, said sca1ep1atforn1 being balanced to be upset by a given Weight, of a locking device arranged to hold the scale-platform when desired in fixed position, elevator-shafts extending from the up- 

